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Vivek Sankaran took over as CEO of Albertsons Cos. 2½ ago after a decade with Frito-Lay, a subsidiary of PepsiCo.
He arrived in Boise to head a company saddled with debt, fueled by the 2013 SuperValu buyout and the purchase of Safeway two years later. Three months before Sankaran was hired, Albertsons reported long-term debt of $10.7 billion. At the end of the company’s second quarter, as of Sept. 12, debt totaled $8.46 billion.
Buoyed by huge sales jumps because of the coronavirus pandemic, Albertsons’ debt is no longer so worrisome. The company has responded to pandemic-altered consumer preferences and increased the number of stores offering online ordering and grocery pickups. And Albertsons in June finally began selling stock to the public, although investors haven’t begun earning much money yet.
Albertsons is one of Boise’s iconic companies. It’s the biggest company based in Idaho, with $62.5 billion in annual sales and more than 300,000 workers nationwide, including about 4,700 in Idaho.
“We are transforming the business,” Sankaran said during a video interview with the Idaho Statesman. “We are modernizing the business.”
Sankaran, 57, grew up in India, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering before moving to the U.S. and earning two master’s degrees. He’s one of three CEOs of Boise companies from India: Sandeep Sahai, of Clearwater Analytics, and Sanjay Mehrotra, of Micron Technology, are the others.
For the first time since becoming CEO, Sankaran is granting interviews to Boise news media. Business reporter John Sowell asked Sankaran (his full name is pronounced Vuh-vek SHAN-kah-rahn) about Albertsons’ experience through the pandemic and other topics.
Question: Let’s talk a little bit about the coronavirus pandemic: what it’s meant for the company and where you see things going in the next few months.
Answer: We are 10 months into it now, and I think of this in three phases. The first phase back in March, April was all of us trying to figure out what this is about and how to make sure that we are keeping our associates safe, our customers safe and making sure there’s plenty of supply of product.
The second phase was about stability. We learned how to operate in this environment. Shoppers learned how to shop in this environment. They’re using delivery, or picking up groceries in the parking lot, or coming into the store.
Now, we’re going into a third phase, where we know we can see the vaccine. It’s closer than we ever imagined. But we still have a tough winter to go through.
And I think we’re going to go through it with a little bit of a spike in demand, like we’re seeing now. People are starting to pick up more paper products and things. I’m hoping that we’ll see continued stability of food products. And so I think we’re entering a phase where we’re all going to find a way to hunker down, be safe and get through this tough winter.
We have learned how to operate in this environment and celebrate really what we are great at — which is a fresh product, the produce, the meats. Because of that, we have gained a lot of market share. We are winning just about everywhere in the country, and what’s happened gives us a chance to not only continue to win, but to keep all of that business that we’ve gained.
The second thing we’ve learned is we’ve accelerated a lot of things like our e-commerce business. We’ve changed the capacity and the capabilities in that.
We are starting to think about meal solutions where it’s time to reinvent parts of the business so that we will be ready for the future. So disruptions sometimes can hurt you. Or if you have a great mindset, you can find a way to separate yourself from competitors. And that’s what we have done.
We had formulated a strategy where we were getting ready to accelerate it in late 2019 and the beginning of 2020. When the pandemic came, demand surged for e-commerce much faster than we imagined. We knew we had to get done in a few months what would have taken us a year or two to do. We opened up more locations where we can offer Drive Up & Go, where you order online and pull into the parking lot to pick up your order. We got to 950 locations in Quarter 2 and plan to get to 1,800 over the next 12 to 18 months.
We had to rewrite all our algorithms that predict demand and that allocate labor. We’re changing the interface for the customer, because they want it to be easy and fast.
Q: What percent of your sales are you seeing from e-commerce vs. people going into stores?
A: We don’t disclose the percentage numbers, but some of our competitors do (Kroger announced that digital sales more than doubled, up 127 percent for the quarter ending Aug. 15 compared with the same quarter a year earlier). We are a bit below that.
Let me put it this way: It is really a noticeable part of the business now, an important part of the business and a part of the business that ‘s growing really fast.
People started using it from a safety standpoint. Now, they’re recognizing the convenience of it. We’ve got to be really good at it. If you order produce or order fish and come home and open the package and it’s not high-quality, it becomes a huge disappointment. We spend a lot of time on the right quality. That’s part of the legacy of Joe Albertson.
Even though we offer delivery, the Drive Up & Go is growing faster. The reason I believe that’s happening is because you’re driving up to a store you’re familiar with. You’ve shopped there a long time, you know the butcher behind the block, you know the cashier, the produce clerk. So you feel more comfortable that that product is coming from that store. It’s just being picked by someone else.
Q: What does the future hold? When you look at the (some of your Boise-area stores) that’s quite a different model than the traditional Albertsons store.
A: When you see the store in Meridian and at Broadway, they’re close to home, and we have the luxury of experimenting. We put a lot of things in those stores to see what’s working and what’s not working.
The general theme you see in those stores you’re seeing in many of our new stores. It’s an experience. There’s beautiful colors from the fruit and the vegetables, you see the deli, you see somebody cooking, you go to the bakery.
We think there is a role for stores to provide that kind of an experience for people who care about fresh products. There’s also a section of the store that people think of as a chore: You’ve got the list, you’re going to go up and down the aisle filling the list and you want to do it as fast as you can to get out of that section.
And there’s the checkout area where you either want somebody to treat you really well and you feel like that was a good human interaction or you don’t want to remember it at all because it was so easy, smooth, or you checked out yourself.
And what you’re seeing in those stores is more of that experience. After the pandemic, I think people will come right back to it. If you had gone to the Broadway store during last year’s Super Bowl, it was packed upstairs with people watching the game. In a grocery store. That’s what we want.
Q: Debt has been a big issue for Albertsons for a number of years. The company has been paying down the debt. What’s the future of that?
A: We are at a very good place on that. The way to think about that is as the ratio of debt to our EBITDA, earnings (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, a measure of a company’s profitability and its ability to pay off debt). Back at the time of acquisition, it was close to five, 4.75. Right. During the last quarter, we were at 1.6. (A lower number indicates a company is not excessively indebted and should be able to repay its obligations.)
So we’ve paid down debt steadily over the last several years. And we’re now at a place where paying down debt is not a must-do to increase the safety of the company. The debt levels are very, very manageable today, and we’re putting more of our money into growth initiatives like, like e commerce, like a meals program.
Q: What do you say about Albertsons being founded here in Boise and Safeway being established in American Falls and the combined company is now the second-largest grocery chain in the country?
A: It’s a fantastic story about our company’s starting in Idaho and going through a series of challenges through our history. But here we are back together as one of the largest retailers and grocers in the country.
But what I’ll also tell you is that we are transforming the business, we are modernizing the business. We are putting investments with technology and such so that we’re going to improve and be stronger as the years go by. We’re going to come out of this pandemic stronger, so much stronger than we went into it.
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC BOOSTED STORE SALES
Albertsons, like other grocery chains, has benefited greatly from the coronavirus pandemic. As fewer people go out to eat at restaurants and families stay home, grocery stores have picked up much of the slack. Identical-store sales, an important indicator of a retailer’s strength, have risen 15.5 percent for the fiscal year.
Digital sales, including home delivery of groceries as well as orders customers place online and pick up at their local store, increased 243 percent in the second quarter. The service is so popular at the company’s store at 16th and State streets, Albertsons added additional parking spaces in front of the store for pick-up customers.
“It’s really a noticeable part of the business, an important part of the business and a part of the business that’s growing really fast,” Sankaran said.
Albertsons, the second-largest U.S. grocery chain, behind Kroger, was founded by Joe Albertson in 1939 in Boise.
In 2006, the original Albertsons Inc. broke apart amid continuing losses. Supervalu, a Minnesota grocery wholesaler, bought most of the company, including all the Albertsons supermarkets in Idaho and various chains under other names. Cerberus led a private-investment consortium that bought 660 supermarkets carrying the Albertsons name — stores Supervalu didn’t want — in the South and Southwest.
That resulted in two chains under the Albertsons banner. Both shrank. Supervalu failed to make its stores profitable, and in 2013 the Cerberus consortium, thriving with its 190 remaining Albertsons stores (still run quietly from Boise), bought Supervalu’s 877 remaining stores carrying multiple banners. What was left of the old company was reunited.
Then, in 2015, Albertsons bought California-based Safeway, an even bigger company. While gaining 1,325 stores, Cerberus saddled Albertsons with $8.9 billion in debt.
Albertsons announced plans for an IPO of 65 million shares but backed out after investors looked to pay $17 a share, much less than the $23 to $26 that Cerberus and its partners wanted.
In 2018, Albertsons planned once again to go public after agreeing to buy most of drugstore chain Rite Aid Corp. But the companies abandoned their $24 billion merger after one of Rite Aid’s largest investors criticized the deal as bad for Rite Aid shareholders. The IPO was shelved again.
Albertsons suffered heavy losses between 2014 and 2018 but has improved its bottom line since. The company has remodeled stores and opened larger stores geared toward foodies such as the Broadway Avenue Albertsons in Boise and the Albertsons Market Street store in Meridian.
The company also has invested in technology, sold off some of its real estate and added home delivery and store grocery pick-up options.
Albertsons operates under a number of banners, including Vons, Jewel Osco, Lucky and Haggen. It has 2,252 stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia, with annual sales of $68 billion
Albertsons went public in June, selling stock on the New York Stock Exchange. Shares were trading Thursday at 15.93, up 1.1 percent.
People started using (Drive Up & Go) from a safety standpoint. Now, they’re recognizing the convenience of it. We’ve got to be really good at it. If you order produce or order fish and come home and open the package and it’s not high-quality, it becomes a huge disappointment. We spend a lot of time on the right quality.”
Albertsons CEO Vivek Sankaran


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Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan has responded to complaints pertaining to loot boxes. Players have turned to the community forum of Overwatch on its website to report the unbelievably high cost of loot boxes.
Earlier this week, the Overwatch Anniversary Event had started. Complaints began to flood the game on Reddit about the loot boxes that contain 108 pieces in total. It turned out in calculations the loot boxes cost more 56,000 credits to purchase. This is way more than preceding events of the game.
According to the calculated value of the loot boxes, one that has 11 Legendary skins costs only 33,000 credits, more than 40 percent less than the figure in question. Fortunately, Kaplan has shed light on the matter via the Overwatch website.
"I just wanted to acknowledge that we've been following the threads about the loot box rewards as they pertain to the anniversary events, other events and loot boxes in general. The feedback and suggestions have been helpful to us", writes Kaplan. "We had a really great discussion yesterday about the feedback we've been hearing this week. While I don't have any immediate action items to report, I thought it was important for you to know that we are listening".
Despite this, many players have been annoyed that Overwatch did not take the matter into its hands immediately and fix the problem.
The Overwatch Anniversary Event runs until 12 June. Blizzard offers a free weekend starting today until midnight of 29 May PT. The free weekend is a free access to the full roster of 24 heroes, map, and modes of the event.

domain: news


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AT&T has officially released their latest Android smartphone, the recently announced Motorola Atrix 2. The handset is available for $99.99, which comes along with a two-year agreement. Otherwise, for those looking to ditch the agreement, expect to pay $449.99.
Pricing aside, the Motorola Atrix 2 arrives with features to include a 4.3 inch (540 x 960) qHD touchscreen display, dual-core 1GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 4G HSPA+, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, 3.5mm headphone jack, GPS, microSD card slot and a 1785 mAh battery.
In addition, the Atrix 2 will have a front facing camera along with an 8 megapixel rear facing camera with auto-focus, LED flash and 1080p video capture. And lastly, the handset measures in at 4.96 x 2.59 x 0.40 inches, weighs in at 5.18 ounces, ships with a 2GB microSD card and is going to be running Android 2.3 Gingerbread.


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GOOD DAY FOR: The passing lane, as Toyota officially dethroned GM as the world’s top automaker, after 78 years of GM having pole position. Toyota sold 8,972,000 vehicles in 2008, 616,000 more than GM. GM blamed its demotion on weak demand in Europe and the U.S., where its sales dropped 6.5 percent and 21 percent, respectively. (AP in Google News)
BAD DAY FOR: Cracked Windows, after Microsoft announced 5,000 job cuts, or about 5 percent of its workforce, in the software giant’s first-ever companywide layoffs. Microsoft said demand for its Windows operation system had fallen more than expected, as sales flattened for all but the cheapest of PCs. Demand was strongest for “netbooks,” sub-$500 machines that run the cheaper Windows XP or Linux. (Bloomberg)
THE WEEK'S AUDIOPHILE PODCASTS: LISTEN SMARTER
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- Welcome to the age of ambivalent feminism
- Why isn't 'Arkansas' pronounced like 'Kansas'?
- How Israel's hawks intimidated and silenced the last remnants of the anti-war left
- It's time for the police to rethink 'shoot-to-kill'
- The best online movies to watch this weekend
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For Nigerians looking to improve their profits, learning to trade with bitcoin has become a valuable skill set.
Nigeria is a big but economy that boasts of having the world’s largest population of black people in the world. Its size and oil wealth has been served as a blessing with many challenges.
World Bank says,
“While Nigeria has made some progress in socio-economic terms in recent years, its human capital development remains weak due to under-investment.”
The high unemployment rate in the region is one factor pushing too many individuals to trade. In Nigeria, over the past five years, the unemployment rate has swelled to 27 percent despite the fact it is considered to be the largest economy in Africa.
This pattern also has a dark side. Trading and speculation have affected certain individuals. Like the rest of the world, some have lost money or fallen for a variety of scams as Africans have pursued cryptocurrency as a road to a better income.
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are also young, so people in Nigeria must have a grasp on which blockchain ventures are potentially beneficial rather than dangerous to them, as well as to the rest of the planet.
The data from U.S. blockchain analytics company Chainalysis showed that cryptocurrency payments to and from Africa of under $10,000 – usually made by individuals and small companies – soared more than 55 percent in a year to hit $316 million in June of 2020. This is a strong reminder of the growing relevance of cryptocurrency in the African continent.
Blockchain helps people make their companies more nimble and efficient, and helps those working in places like Europe and North America to hold on to more of the money they take home.


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Added by Pat Williams on December 3, 2011
Piper Jaffray released a report on Monday that shows Apple products are gaining in popularity with teenagers over the last four years.
The top three Apple products that you should stock are the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
For the past 11 years, Piper Jaffray has been reporting and tracking teen trends closely. Each fall they poll between 5,000 and 10,000 to gather their data to assist the market in determining which items are going to be hot this Christmas.
For 2011, the latest data shows that about 3.5% of teenagers want an iPhone for Christmas. 2.5% of the respondents asked for an iPad and another 2% want the iPod, most notably the iPod touch.
Add in another 1% who want a Mac computer and another 1% for an Apple product gift card, like a Mac Store or iTunes gift card and you have over 11% of teenagers wanting some form of Apple product for Christmas.
According to Piper Jaffray, this data shows exactly which items retailers will need to stock on their shelves during this upcoming Christmas season. Though Black Friday and Cyber Monday have passed, consumers are expected to spend millions of dollars on these products between now and Christmas.
A Piper Jaffray spokesperson said, “Obtaining large quantities directly from Apple may be a long shot at this point. However there are several suppliers that you can purchase wholesale iPhones and wholesale iPads at bulk rates if you need them fast.”
Piper Jaffray conducted this poll by visiting schools nationwide and asking teenagers what they wanted for this Christmas; respondents were also able to complete the survey online.


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(Pocket-lint) — Mercedes-Benz is now charging a subscription that unlocks the full power of some EVs, with the EQE and EQS two examples gaining a $1,200 annual fee.
The subscription, which costs $1,200 before tax we might add, will give acceleration a boost as well as include an «adjustment of the motor characteristic curve, torque, and maximum output». The German carmaker also notes that the tweaks to the motors come irrespective of which Dynamic Select mode drivers choose.
As of right now, the performance improvements are listed as coming to the Mercedes-EQ EQE 350 4MATIC, Mercedes-EQ EQE SUV 350 4MATIC, Mercedes-EQ EQS 450 4MATIC, and Mercedes-EQ EQS SUV 450 4MATIC. The performance increase buyers can expect will depend on the vehicle they own — but Mercedes-Benz says that drivers can expect between 0.8 and 1 whole second to be lopped off their 0-60mph acceleration numbers.
This isn’t the first time that a car company has gone the subscription route with a feature, however. BMW famously said that it was going to start charging people to turn on their heated seats. That went down just as you’d expect it to, and so far things aren’t going much Mercedes-Benz, either.
See our list of the best electric cars available to buy. Top battery-powered cars suitable for UK roads.
Right now it isn’t clear if this subscription will roll out internationally, but it’s already listed as «coming soon» in the Mercedes-Benz U.S. store. We’ve reached out to the company to get confirmation either way. It also remains to be seen whether this will expand to other Mercedes-Benz EVs in the future, too.
Writing by Oliver Haslam.


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The remaster of the original Dark Souls video game is now available on all Xbox One consoles and with visual enhancements when played on an Xbox One X. Here’s the official game description and trailer. Then, there was fire. Re-experience the critically acclaimed,
People ask us all the time whether they should buy a new-gen console? Should they get an Xbox One? A PS4? For a year, we've told people to not bother with either. Now, we think you should make the leap, especially if you're a console-only gamer. But which one to get?Read more...
Microsoft announced yesterday that it has extended digital gifting through the Microsoft Store to apps and Xbox Live avatar items, which comes in addition to digital games, Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Games Pass subscriptions.
Microsoft recently announced a new learning platform so you can educate yourself about Azure, PowerApps, Dynamics 365, Flow, PowerBI, with more coming soon to acquire skills to advance your career. This tutorial will guide you through your first steps through Microsoft Learn.
Heathrow Europe’s busiest Airport is about to get an upgrade with a third runway, and Microsoft is assisting with its technology. Around 78 million passengers passed through its terminals in 2017, and with a planned upgrade, we would expect to see at least 130 million.
This week, the team behind the mileage-tracking app MileIQ has quietly released a new mobile app called Spend, which purpose is to help business users tracking expenses.
the European Commission has officially approved of the Microsoft and GitHub purchase without any conditions and says the purchase would not damage competition in the sector.
In 2016, Microsoft made a stunning announcement during its annual Build developers conference: it was bringing the Linux shell Bash to the Windows desktop* as a first-class citizen.
Microsoft has recently made some changes to the Windows Kernel so that the Spectre mitigations now have a negligible impact on performance.
The Universal Zip app is currently free to buy and download on Windows 10 Mobile and PC for one week. The app usually retails for $4.99 so it’s a worthy download if you ever think you might need a new program for compressing and uncompressing files. Here’s the official store listing.
Windows 10 Insider preview 17677 is another solid release with a handful of new tweaks and features and another healthy dose of fixes and known issues that have cropped up over the past week and a half for Insiders.
To tie in with the day's release of Build 17677, Microsoft also announced the first First Windows 10 Redstone 5 Windows Insider bug bash for June 22nd – July 1st.
In celebration of National Engineers Week, six teams of engineers from Lockheed Martin devised duct taping designs that they thought could hold a human being on a wall for the longest amount of time. Then they ran this crazy contest.Read more...
在文章之前先分享一个思维导图，由草榴网产品经理“小福子”针对前两篇文章整理的一个思维导图，结构化的罗列了我的文 […] 您可能也喜欢： 产品需求文档(PRD)的写作方法 产品需求文档的写作(三) – 原型设计(手绘原型,
Samsung has revealed a new range of data centre targeted SSDs, with 10nm-class 3-bit NAND flash memory, offering speeds of up to 530MB/s.Read more: http://www.itproportal.com/2014/06/04/samsung-845dc-evo-unveiled-ssd-for-data-centres/
We round up the three biggest threats you need to be aware of this week, including the growing prevalence of advanced persistent threats, and UK travellers targeted by particularly nasty malware.Read more: http://www.itproportal.
This is it, baby: The 2014 World Cup final. Germany vs. Argentina from Rio de Janeiro's legendary Maracana stadium. Eternal glory awaits the winner; massive disappointment awaits the loserCan Germany complete what's felt since 2010 like an inevitable march toward its fourth World Cup title?
The early trouble with ABC’s fantasy-reality hybrid The Quest was the contestants’ inability to buy in — though the actors playing out the Game of Thrones-wannabe drama around them had no problem taking things seriously,
一、回顾单词统计源码 1 package counter; 2 3 import java.net.URI; 4 5 import org.apache.hadoop.conf.Configuration; 6 import org.apache.hadoop.fs.FileSystem; 7 .....


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Microsoft reached a new level in financial terms and, last Tuesday (22), reached for the first time a market value that exceeds US$ 2 trillion.
The brand was achieved after a new appreciation of 1.1% in the company’s shares. Remember that Microsoft joined the group of companies worth $1 trillion just two years ago, and at the beginning of 2020, it was the only one that still held that position in a stable manner.
Part of the brand’s recent appreciation is a consequence of the covid-19 pandemic: Microsoft had an increase in demand for computers, systems and services such as servers and cloud storage.
Even with many countries slowly returning to normality, the idea is that the company maintains the accelerated pace in places that maintain remote work.
A title for few
Previously, only Apple had earned the rank among US companies with publicly sold shares. Another occupant of the select list is the oil giant Saudi Aramco, from Arabia Saudi.
Amazon and Google are two other US tech companies that are close to surpassing the value, with about $1.7 trillion of market value in both cases.


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Chevy Reorganizes Limited 2023 Corvette Production: 3% Will Be Z06/Aero
Once again, production at the Bowling Green Corvette plant in Kentucky has been stopped until mid-September. Because there has been a pattern of stoppages for the C8 Corvette every year of its production, Chevy knows it has to reorganize how it makes its flagship. Demand has outstripped production, especially for the Z06. Since 2020, later orders have spilled over to the following year. Now Chevy has a plan, but many may not like it.
How does Chevy determine 2023 Corvette Z06 production?
Interest in the Z06 version of the Corvette is intense. We already knew that there would be far more buyers than cars available. Now, based on a chart that recently popped up on GM Authority, it appears that only 10 percent of 2023 Corvette production will be Z06.
Of those, only three percent will get the Z07 aero package. That is the big wing T0G/T0F option for the Z06. But, there’s a hitch in Chevy’s plan.
What will Corvette Z06 production be?
If Bowling Green can keep up with 2023 projections, production of Z06 C8s will be around 315. But if there are shutdowns, as there are right now, that number will decrease. So all Z06 production hinges on 2023 production numbers. And that build-out is seeing many restrictions.
First, Chevy has placed a “plant restriction” on Bowling Green. Nobody seems to know exactly what that is. However, Corvette production won’t be based on traditional models.
The Average Day Supply model for dealer allocations is mostly how production is determined. That means how many days a vehicle sits on a dealer lot until it is sold. “Historic Sales Volume” is the metric for Corvette production. That is based on Corvette production from 2020 to 2022.
How does Chevy break down all 2023 Corvette production?
How all of this fleshes out is that Chevy is breaking down C8 models to certain percentage groups. They are Stingray Z51 models with Magnetic Ride Control, Stingray Z51 models without MagRide, base C8 Stingray, base Z06, and Z06 with aero.
Allocations break down to 60 percent of production will be Z51 Stingray, and 40 percent without. Then 60 percent of those with Z51 will be equipped with MagRide. And 10 percent will have the Z06 option, with only three percent of those getting the Z07 aero package. Chevy indicates that MagRide and Z51 breakdowns are a result of supplier issues. But we believe that is also true for the aero package.
Can any of this change?
Now, all of this can, and hopefully, will change as production moves forward. If there are no hiccups in the supply chain, as Chevy is anticipating, then those numbers will rise. In some cases, as with engines, Chevy has been stockpiling assembled engines. And we also know that the MagRide restrictions are based on microchip shortages and not manufacturing issues.
Again, this is a fluid situation. But as of now, 2023 Corvettes in general will be in very short supply. And an accepted 2023 Z06 order is worth a bundle. Especially if Bowling Green can’t produce more than 300+ Z06 Corvettes.
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UniFocus has released a new easy-to-read dashboard component for its revenue reporting performance tool.
New point of sale solution removes complexities and lowers costs of antiquated POS.
Insignia Hospitality Group drives an ambitious hotel opening schedule with Kaba RFID locks.
SalesVu has released its latest mobile payment and point-of-sale application for iPhone and iPad.
The Table Host dining concierge service launches in Chicago.
Intelity has named former Hilton executive, Jeff Fox, to fill the brand new vice president position.
Riande Hoteles has extended its relationship with Pegasus Solutions to increase reservations through mobile and Facebook.
Mirus Restaurant Solutions has been employed by the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema to disseminate valuable info from the restaurant and cinema.
A McDonald's franchise offers customers iPads that they can use for free while they dine.
The Hutton Hotel combines video, photos and e-mail to create vibrant marketing to attract meeting and event planners.


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There have been better days to be a Subaru Crosstrek owner than when federal regulators announced that the SUV’s 2019 model is concurrently impacted by two massive safety recalls. On the bright side, there are available fixes for both issues and, as of this writing, no injuries have been reported for either. Cars.com’s coverage of the recalls — which affects nearly 900,000 vehicles in total, including other Subaru cars and SUVs, as well — dominates this week’s countdown of our most popular news articles from the past week.
Related: 10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: Fuel Efficiency Follows Ford F-150 Follies
One of the two recalls, both announced April 15, concerns an issue with the engine control module in 466,000 model-year 2017-19 Impreza sedans and hatchbacks, and 2018-19 Crosstrek SUVs. The other recall involves 405,000 model-year 2019 Forester and Crosstrek SUVs, due to an issue with bolts on the rear stabilizer bracket. Both defects could result in a crash, so owners should take their affected vehicle to the dealer for a free repair promptly upon receiving official notification from the automaker; notifications start June 14.
Get the full details on both recalls, including specifics on their respective defects as well as contact info for Subaru and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, by following the link below to the No. 1 Cars.com news story of the past week.
Also new to the countdown is the eagerly anticipated reveal of the all-new-for-2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup truck … er, “segment-busting sport activity vehicle,” that is. Hyundai’s first pickup truck, or whatever you wanna call it, is a compact model that shares DNA with the new Hyundai Tucson SUV. Some highlights for this Honda Ridgeline/Nissan Frontier/Toyota Tacoma rival include a choice of 2.5-liter four-cylinder engines and eight-speed transmissions, Tucson-like exterior styling, 3,500- to 5,000-pound towing capacity, a dual-cockpit-style cabin and standard SmartSense, Hyundai’s suite of safety features.
For our full preview on the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, follow the link below to Cars.com’s No. 5 article of the week. And for a deeper dive into the Santa Cruz’s pulling prowess, continue down the list to No. 7, where our detailed breakdown of the new truck’s towing capacity joins the countdown.
Beyond all that, we’ve got headlines on the 2021 Mazda CX-5, 2022 Infiniti QX55, redesigned 2022 Honda Civic sedan and much more, so catch up on all the latest car news, now. Here are the top 10 news stories Cars.com readers couldn’t get enough of in the past week:
1. Subaru Issues Big Recalls for Crosstrek, Impreza, Forester
2. Car Shoppers Face Shorter Supply, Rising Prices
3. Which Cars Have Self-Driving Features for 2021?
4. Is the 2021 Mazda CX-5 a Good Car? 4 Pros and 4 Cons
5. Hyundai Reveals Almost Everything on Its 2022 Santa Cruz Pickup: Size, Power, Towing
6. Electric Cars With the Longest Range
7. The Big Surprise of Hyundai’s 2022 Santa Cruz: It Can Tow a Lot
8. Toyota SUV Buying Guide
9. 2022 Infiniti QX55: 5 Things We Like (and 4 Things Not So Much)
10. Here’s Your Redesigned 2022 Honda Civic Sedan
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
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It’s official! The iconic Nokia is now all set to re-enter the mobile phone market. Nokia has signed a strategic licensing agreement with Finland-based HMD Global for manufacturing Android powered Smartphones and Tablets under the brand name of Nokia. HMD will be investing over $500 million in the next three years to make the Nokia branded smartphones to reach the consumers.
Speaking on the occasion, Arto Nummela , CEO of HMD Global, said,
“We will be completely focused on creating a unified range of Nokia-branded mobile phones and tablets, which we know will resonate with consumers. Branding has become a critical differentiator in mobile phones, which is why our business model is centered on the unique asset of the Nokia brand, and our extensive experience in sales and marketing. We will work with world class manufacturing and distribution providers to move quickly and deliver what customers want.”
Recently there are rumors suggesting Microsoft to sell the Nokia trademark for feature phones to Foxconn. Microsoft is the sole manufacturer of Nokia branded feature phones until 2024, but now FIH Mobile Limited, a subsidiary of Foxconn has also agreed to acquire that trademark license from Microsoft. We hope to see Nokia branded smartphones, feature phones, and tablets returning to its old glory.
FIH will be into manufacturing while HMD looks after sales, marketing and distribution of the Nokia branded devices. Nokia N1 tablet, which was launched after the Microsoft deal was also manufactured by Foxconn. Just like sharing patents, Nokia will be sharing its brand name and in return, they get royalties for the every handset sold under their brand name.
There is no time span mentioned when the device will be available in the market. Since the documentation work is said to be finished in the second half of 2016, we need to wait until the end of this year to see any Nokia phones. The global license of brand Nokia for HMD Global will be excluding Japan. Though we don’t any information about that, we will update once we hear back from the company.


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New Delhi: Eicher Trucks & Buses, part of VE Commercial Vehicles
, today introduced zero emission smart electric buses, marking its entry in the growing electric bus segment in India. VE Commercial Vehicles will integrate KPIT Technologies
’ indigenously developed electrification technology, ‘REVOLO’, on its bus platform - ‘Skyline Pro’, according to a company statement.
Manufactured at VECV’s manufacturing facility at Indore, Madhya Pradesh, the new electric, Skyline Pro E bus adds to the Skyline Pro range and marks a significant move in the company’s direction to build smart and sustainable transportation solutions for India.
REVOLO is a versatile technology that can be applied to a large range of buses and other vehicle designs. It has been designed by KPIT, a global technology company working in automotive and mobility solutions.
REVOLO has an architecture which allows it to operate on a lower voltage. It also does significant regeneration to have the maximum possible range with the smallest possible battery. The system is modular and designed for Indian conditions.
With the electrification technology and the buses being developed in India, these vehicles embody the ‘Made in India, for India’ promise.ALSO READ: VE Commercial Vehicles sales zooms 50.6% at 6,801 in Jan 2018
Vinod Aggarwal, MD & CEO, VE Commercial Vehicles said, “The country is at the cusp of a new revolution in transportation, and it is our endeavor to provide India with the best mobility solutions. Together with KPIT Technologies Ltd., we bring our core competencies of a strong bus platform and indigenous technology to build the right products for the market. This further reinforces commitment to usher in modernization in the CV industry. The Smart Electric Skyline Pro E buses
are certified to ply on Indian roads and we are confident they will bring great value to commuters, city transportation corporations and other organizations in this ecosystem. Our pan India network of dealerships and service stations will provide all the necessary service support and maintenance for operating these electric buses efficiently.”
He further said, “The shift to electric vehicle technology is opening up a number of opportunities for the economy. It is a viable solution to India’s depleting air quality and increasing dependencies on traditional fuel resources. Along with the supporting policy framework, it will bring in positive implications across environment, social and economic parameters.”
Kishor Patil, Managing Director (MD), CEO and Co- founder, KPIT Technologies Ltd. said, "This partnership reinforces KPIT’s commitment to create sustainable technologies that have a positive impact on our environment. Using our home-grown technology, this electric bus segment will usher in a new era of clean urban mobility.”


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e-Cigarette Sales to be Banned in San Francisco
San Fransisco Mayor London Breed has signed an ordinance that effectively bans e-cigarette sales within the city—a first of its kind ban in the United States.
London Breed, the mayor of San Francisco has signed an ordinance that effectively bans the sales of e-cigarettes within the city—a first of its kind ban in the United States.
The ordinance says, "no person shall sell or distribute an electronic cigarette to a person in San Francisco" unless that product has undergone premarket review by the U.S. FDA. To date, no e-cigarettes have.
The ban includes sales by both brick-and-mortar stores, as well as online sales shipped to a San Fransisco address. The ordinance applies to flavored tobacco products in addition to e-cigarettes. The measure, however, does not ban the use of vapes among people 21 or older.
"There is so much we don't know about the health impacts of these products, but we do know that e-cigarette companies are targeting our kids in their advertising and getting them hooked on addictive nicotine products," Breed said.
The policy will take another seven months to become fully implemented. According to the measure, the policy will become "effective"30 days after being signed, and it becomes "operative" six months after that.
Under the Tobacco Control Act, the FDA has the authority to assess the safety and health risks of products, like e-cigarettes, that advertise themselves as low risk or less harmful than cigarettes. The FDA does currently require e-cigarette manufacturers to submit applications for review, but many products didn't get pre-market approval before they put their products out. Instead of removing the products, the FDA has given manufactures a 2022 deadline for submitting applications.


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White Paper Declares”All marketing will become direct marketing”
In what will inevitably be seen as a controversial move in marketing circles, the author of a recent report has declared that “all marketing will become direct marketing” in the future.
The white paper as reported in mad.co.uk’s DMweekly says that “new and plentiful data and insight” has transformed the timescale and analysis of marketing communications “to the extent that in reality, all marketing is becoming direct marketing.”
We’ve previously commented on the convergence between digital and direct marketing but the report goes one step further.
Of course this comes as no surprise when one learns that the report’s author is Martin Hayward, former director of strategy and futures at Dunnhumby UK who are the power behind the mighty Tesco Clubcard programme – data driven marketing in it’s ultimate form. Plus the white paper was commissioned by Royal Mail!


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Despite billionaire Tom Golisano's gubernatorial candidacy, most of New York's TV stations say ad spending will not top that of last year's hot mayoral race, which included big spender Michael Bloomberg. Stations estimate that political spending for the year will come to about $55 million. That's $5 million below last year's take and about $11 million shy of levels in 2000, when Hillary Rodham Clinton and Jon Corzine were in senate races.
Schick in SEC probe over earnings
Schick Technologies Inc. and some of its top executives are being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York in connection with the company's earnings restatement for the first three quarters of 1999. The Long Island City, Queens-based firm, which makes medical imaging systems, disclosed that it received subpoenas from the SEC two years ago. In June, Schick was notified that David Schick, CEO of the company, was being investigated by the U.S. Attorney's Office. The company declined to comment.
$4 million expansion on Carmine's menu
Carmine's, an Italian eatery at 200 W. 44th St. known for big portions and affordable prices, is undergoing a $4 million expansion that will give it a second level and 150 more seats. Construction is slated to be complete by next February. Carl Milner, chief executive, says sales are 5% higher than they were last year.
NYC construction holds its course
Despite the slowing economy, construction activity and lanned construction were little changed in fiscal year 2002, which ended June 30, according to the city's Department of Buildings. Overall, the number of permit applications declined by 0.7%, to 56,755. The number of applications for new buildings increased by 10%, to 5,564. Rehab work permits declined 4.7%, to 34,666.
Colorful Crumpler signs NoLIta lease
Australian retailer Crumpler has signed a 10-year lease for a 1,000-square-foot store at 45 Spring St. in NoLIta. Crumpler is known for colorful messenger bags. The asking rent was $200 per square foot. Garrick-Aug Worldwide Ltd. represented the landlord, Jonis Management, and the tenant. The store opens next month.
Silvercrest hires investment policy head
Silvercrest asset management hired Stanley Reese to head its investment policy committee. He will determine asset allocation and monitor risk in client portfolios. Mr. Reese joins from Zurich Scudder, where he was head of the firm's $15 billion private client division. Manhattan-based Silvercrest was started in February by G. Moffett Cochran and Martin Jaffe, who ran the asset management division of Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette before it was sold.
Wiz taps DJM to market stores
The Wiz picked Melville, L.I.-based real estate consultant DJM Asset Management to dispose of the leases for 24 Wiz stores that are closing and six that are downsizing. The locations, some in New York City, range in size from 10,000 square feet to 42,500 square feet. A cross section of retailers, including furniture, clothing and electronics stores, is interested in the properties.
Fewer businesses open downtown
The New York city Department of Consumer Affairs says that 78 fewer new businesses applied for a license to operate in lower Manhattan in the year ended Sept. 11, compared with the previous 12 months. The 50 new businesses included electronics stores, parking garages, delis and home improvement contractors.
Commerce lures Fleet executives
To support its aggressive expansion in the New York City area, New Jersey-based Commerce Bank has hired nine senior lending professionals, including six executives from FleetBoston Financial. The new hires include Gregory Braca, who will be the senior lending officer for middle-market and commercial lending in Manhattan and Long Island. He was formerly a senior vice president in FleetBoston's New York metro health care group.
Anniversary a boon for blood supply
The New York Blood Center will return to normal levels of blood distribution to hospitals today after shortages all summer. The anniversary of Sept. 11 boosted donations last week, as individuals, businesses and community groups redoubled efforts to donate blood.


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Saudi Arabian Regulators May Exempt Some Low-Risk Medical Devices from MDMA Registration
EMERGO SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS:
- Saudi medical device regulators have unofficially indicated they may soon exempt certain Class I devices from MDMA registration requirements.
- Class I non-sterile, non-measuring devices would still require Saudi Arabia Authorized Representation in order to be commercialized in the country.
- The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) may push through the new exemption in the next month or two.
Regulators at the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) may soon exempt some Class I medical devices from registration requirements according to Emergo sources in Riyadh.
The SFDA has yet to issue a formal announcement, but based on verbal internal discussions Emergo consultants have learned that Class I non-sterile, non-measuring devices could be exempt from Medical Device Marketing Authorization (MDMA) requirements in Saudi Arabia by as early as October or November 2017.
Furthermore, new SFDA guidance on shipment clearances at Saudi ports of entry states that low-risk non-sterile, non-measuring devices imported and sold in the country will not require MDMAs. However, the new guidance also includes requirements that such devices will require listing in the soon-to-be-launched SFDA Medical Device National Registry (MDNR) as well as Saudi Arabia Authorized Representation in order to be marketed in the country.
Emergo consultants will provide additional updates on MDMA exemptions for Class I non-sterile, non-measuring devices once the SFDA issues official guidance.
Additional medical device regulatory resources for Saudi Arabia:
- SFDA registration consulting for medical device companies
- Saudi Arabia Authorized Representative in-country representation support
- Certificate of Free Sale (CFS) service for medical device exporters
- Video overview: Medical device approval in Saudi Arabia
- Whitepaper: SFDA medical device registration requirements


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Watch: Koenigsegg Regera sets blistering 0-400km/h world record
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Cast your mind back to early September, you'll remember Bugatti setting a new "production car" world speed record with a 490km/h run in a modified Chiron that was later unveiled as the Chiron Super Sport.
While the French marque was planning on setting the outright top speed record, they weren't too worried about how quickly the Chiron reached the 400s, which is where Swedish manufacturer Koenigsegg comes into the picture.
Late last month, Koenigsegg released a video claiming that their Regera hypercar was able to hit 400km/h in just 31.49 seconds, but because the video contained so many cuts, critics were unsure of its validity.
To silence the naysayers, Koenigsegg boss, Christian von Koenigsegg has released the full, uncut, overexposed video showing the insane speed run. While this clip does show the pace of the car, the dodgy lighting makes exterior visibility impossible.
For this run, Koenigsegg test driver Sonny Persson was behind the wheel of the Regera, and it took place at the Rada airfield in Sweden. While there wasn't much in it, the Regera bettered the Agera RS' time to 400km/h by just 1.8 seconds.
As you could imagine, a lot of fancy technology is involved when it comes to blasting a car to 400km/h in just 30 seconds, and the Regera is packed full of it.
Under the rear engine cover sits a twin-turbo 5.0-litre V8 engine that sits alongside three electric motors. This power plant produces a combined 1118kW, which is sent straight to the rear axle through the brand's signature Direct Drive transmission.
According to the Swedish brand, the Regera contains a single gear, and their transmission reduces energy losses by up to 50 per cent compared to a traditional multi-speed transmission.
“This was a good opportunity to showcase the true capability of the Regera’s one-of-a-kind Direct Drive transmission,” said Christian von Koenigsegg. “As the Regera only has one gear we had to make use of it from standstill to the record top speed of 403 km/h (or 250 mph) limited by rpm.”
After completing this run, driver Sonny Persson hints at the top speed run that they have in the works with a playful "Hold my beer!" Time to dust the Jesko off?


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Rotation of Quarterly Beers Offers Hoppy Counterpoint to Lips of Faith
Ft. Collins, Colo., February,2013 – New Belgium Brewing, the third-largest craft brewer in the U.S., is launching a new series of beers called Hop Kitchen. In 2013, four hoppy brews will be released under the new line in 22-ounce bottles and on draft in select markets.
“Hop Kitchen allows us to continue exploring hop varieties from around the world,” said New Belgium Brewer Grady Hull. “We will rotate hop-inspired selections to complement the Belgian and wood-inspired beers in our Lips of Faith series.”
The first release under the Hop Kitchen banner will be Hoppy Bock Lager, which will come out in late February. This beer is a medium-bodied German-style lager brewed with rye and Hallertauer, Perle and Fuggle hops. Offering a slightly sweet malt character, Hoppy Bock is 6.9 percent ABV.
Later in the year, watch for French Aramis IPA, Fresh Hop IPA using salmon-safe certified hops farmed in Oregon, and Rewind IPA featuring hops that were popular in the 1980′s and 1990′s. More specific details will be available on the series as the selections become available.


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Packaging manufacturer Arkansas Poly & Printing partnered with wood-alternative decking company Trex Company to send its post-industrial and post-consumer resin-based packaging products to Trex for use in its composite decking.
Avient Corporation is expanding its portfolio of Complēt REC long fiber reinforced composites using recycled resin.
Circular.co launched its full-service digital platform for buying and selling sustainable commodities at scale, starting with a focus on recycled plastics.
Circulate Capital published its 2021 year in review, reporting it prevented 30,300 tons of plastic pollution leakage, among other accomplishments.
New Hampshire passed a law that will regulate chemical recycling as a manufacturing operation rather than solid waste disposal, making it the 19th state to do so.
RecyClass published a design book clarifying the concepts of recyclability and design for recycling.
SABIC, Heinz, Tesco and Berry partnered in a closed-loop recycling trial in the U.K. that will turn flexible plastic packaging collected from Tesco stores into PP for reuse in the brands’ packaging.
Sierra International Machinery is adding a 24,000-square-foot expansion to their manufacturing facility in Jesup, Ga., due to demand for the Sierra REB line of two-ram balers and conveyors.


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|Bid||1.8700 x 0|
|Ask||1.8800 x 0|
|Day's range||1.8600 - 1.9000|
|52-week range||1.5700 - 2.3300|
|Beta (3Y monthly)||0.52|
|PE ratio (TTM)||20.00|
|Earnings date||13 Aug 2019 - 19 Aug 2019|
|Forward dividend & yield||0.08 (4.04%)|
|1y target est||1.96|
SINGAPORE (May 14): Olam International has announced earnings of $168.9 million for 1Q19, rising 6.9% y-o-y from $158 million due to improved operating performance, which was offset in part by increased depreciation and finance costs.
SINGAPORE (May 2): Olam International says its Mouila Lot 3 palm plantation in Gabon has become Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certified.The 38,363 hectare (ha) palm plantation is managed by Olam Palm Gabon, a joint venture between Olam and the Republic of Gabon, and has a total planted area of 18.272 ha, out of which 18,765 ha of high conservation value (HCV) is being conserved.The remaining area comprises infrastructure comprises facilities, roads and housing.Based on the RSPO greenhouse gas (GHG) calculator, the plantation is expected to make a net positive climate impact by fixing 236,000 metric tonnes (MT) of carbon dioxide over the next 25 years. In a press release on Thursday, Olam says Mouila Lot 3 is the third plantation to become RSPO-certified, including the renewed RSPO certification for its Mouila Bilala palm oil mill.This also brings Olam’s total RSPO-certified concession area to a total of 94,000 ha, and makes the group the largest certified producer in Africa with a production capacity of 74,000 MT of certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) as well as 13,000 MT of certified sustainable palm kernel oil (CSPKO).“We are proud to be at the forefront of implementing sustainable practices on our plantations that are positively contributing to protecting landscapes and to supporting communities in Gabon. This certification is the most recent milestone in our continued progress towards sustainable palm production and sourcing, both on our own plantations and through our third-party supply chain”, comments Supramaniam Ramasamy, Olam’s global head of plantations.In this week’s issue of The Edge Singapore, we discuss recent criticism heaped on the palm oil industry’s practices, and how boycotting or restricting demand for the commodity does not make it more sustainable.Login to read the full story, Misdirected moral outrage pushes palm oil industry into unsustainable corner, or click here to subscribe.
Ivory Coast banned rice imports from Singapore-based commodity trader Olam International for one year after destroying an 18,000-tonne shipment of "spoilt" rice, the commerce ministry said. Olam said in a statement on Tuesday that it was disappointed by the ministry's decision, which was first announced last Friday. "The unique circumstances relating to the recent rejection of a cargo of rice were unfortunate and not representative of the shipments of rice into Ivory Coast," Olam said.
Commodity trader Olam International on Tuesday said it will buy Dangote Flour Mills Plc , as it looks to bolster its position in Nigeria's wheat market. Olam's Nigerian unit, which holds a 0.1 percent stake in Dangote Flour Mills, will buy the rest of the company for an enterprise value of 130 billion naira ($425 million). The deal expands Olam's reach in the pasta market in Nigeria, as it looks to cash in on the growing demand of wheat-based products in the region.
** ING Groep's chief executive Ralph Hamers told shareholders that the Dutch bank would consider a cross-border takeover under some circumstances, Dutch daily Financieele Dagblad reported. ** Britain's competition regulator said it expected to publish its final report on supermarket group Sainsbury's proposed 7.3 billion pound ($9.4 billion) takeover of Walmart-owned rival Asda on Thursday. ** Commodity trader Olam International said it will buy Dangote Flour Mills Plc, as it looks to bolster its position in Nigeria's wheat market.
Singapore-headquartered agribusiness Olam International has secured an innovative new type of corporate loan that links pricing to the borrower’s progress towards its digital transformation. The US$350m three-year revolving credit facility is a digital loan (D-loan), a form of positive incentive loan (PIL), which rewards borrowers that achieve pre-arranged targets by cutting their borrowing costs. Olam’s financing, which refinances existing loans, is the first time that a syndicated loan has been linked to the digital maturity of a company, the company said.
Singapore-based Olam International on Thursday said it planned to invest more on expanding its cocoa business, while reporting a 34-percent fall in quarterly profit partly due to lower contributions from its coffee and rice operations. "As far as cocoa strategy is concerned, it is one of our crown jewel businesses," Chief Executive Officer Sunny Verghese said at Olam's results briefing, adding that it would invest across areas including origination, processing and research. Meanwhile, Verghese said that profit-margins in the company's coffee business would be under pressure in the first-half of 2019.
SINGAPORE (Feb 28): Olam International reported 4Q18 earnings of $75.3 million, down 71.6% from a year ago due to a large exceptional gain of $155.4 million recorded in 4Q17.
Olam International said on Tuesday it has acquired an 85 percent stake in the parent of Indonesia's largest cocoa processor as it seeks to supply a growing market for cocoa products in Asia. The Singapore-based global food and agri-business said it will pay $90 million for the stake in YTS Holdings Pte which is the owner of PT Bumitangerang Mesindotama (BT Cocoa). The remaining 15 percent will be held by the founding members of BT Cocoa, Piter Jasman and his family.
Wilmar International Ltd shares fell more than 4 percent on Friday after the Singapore-listed commodity trader said its quarterly net profit halved, mainly due to a provision linked its Australian sugar assets. Reporting October-December earnings late on Thursday, Wilmar made a provision for a $138.6 million impairment on its goodwill and sugar milling assets in Australia, citing ongoing depressed sugar prices, in the fourth quarter.
Japan's biggest trading house Mitsubishi Corp on Tuesday posted a 6 percent rise in its April-December net profit thanks to higher income from energy operations, and stuck to its record profit forecast for the year despite one-off losses. Mitsubishi's net profit grew to a record 442 billion yen ($4 billion) for the nine months to Dec. 31 from 416 billion yen a year ago.
Mitsubishi Corp booked an impairment loss of about 28 billion yen ($255 million) on its stake in Olam International in the October-December quarter but it has no plan to trim its stake in the Singaporean commodity trader, its CFO said on Tuesday. Japan's biggest trading house also took an impairment loss of about 31 billion yen on its investment in iron ore mines in Chile in the same quarter due to an extra environmental cost and a repair cost for a broken shiploader at a port, Chief Financial Officer Kazuyuki Masu told a news conference. Olam said last month that it plans to invest $3.5 billion into key growth areas, such as edible nuts, coffee and cocoa, over the next few years, while exiting four existing businesses to raise funds.
Singaporean commodity trader Olam International plans to invest $3.5 billion into key growth areas, such as edible nuts, coffee and cocoa, over the next few years, while exiting four existing businesses to raise funds. The agricultural commodity trader will double down on 12 prioritised businesses, which include spices, edible oils, cotton, dairy, grains and animal feed. "We will continue to invest in businesses where we have consistently performed, have market leading positions, clear differentiation, it is in line with the key consumer trends and there is significant potential for future growth," chief executive Sunny Verghese told a briefing.


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08 1 月 CFPB Techniques Against Cash Advance Industry, Orders ACE Cash Express To Pay For $10 Million
An additional indication that the pay day loan industry is increasingly under siege, the CFPB reached funds Thursday with among the country's biggest payday lenders for ten dollars million over its illegal commercial collection agency techniques.
The financial institution, ACE money Express, "used false threats, intimidation, and harassing telephone telephone calls to bully payday borrowers into a period of financial obligation,вЂќ said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. вЂњThis tradition of coercion drained millions of dollars from cash-strapped consumers who'd options that are few react."
As an example, the CFPB claims customers encountered the danger of additional costs, being reported to credit scoring agencies and prosecution that is criminal they did not make payments. Some enthusiasts over and over called consumers, their workplaces as well as their family members, disclosing information on their loans.
A visual pulled from the ACE money Express training manual shows exactly exactly how brand brand new employees had been taught to make contact with the client after she or he "exhausts the bucks and will not are able to spend." workers had been instructed to "create a feeling of urgency" whenever calling borrowers that are delinquent.
Regarding the ten dollars million total this is certainly owed, $5 million is going to be compensated to customers in the shape of refunds and $5 million are going to be compensated as being a penalty to your CFPB. ACE money Express can also be bought to get rid of debt that is illegal threats and harassment and prevent pressuring borrowers into taking right out duplicated loans.
The cash advance industry is approximated which will make over $3 billion per year.


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Thailand has decriminalised possession and sale of Kratom, a psychoactive plant native to Southeast Asia which is used as both stimulant and painkiller
Thailand has officially decriminalised the possession and sale of Kratom, a psychoactive native plant used by many as a mild stimulant and natural painkiller. The decision comes as Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin moved to continue the county’s development towards more compassionate drug policies, following the legalisation of medicinal and household cannabis in 2018.
In Thailand, prisons and courts have become overcrowded and unsustainable, a fact made all the more dismal by so many prisoners serving sentences for non-violent drug possession charges. With the decriminalisation of kratom, thousands of pending legal cases relating to possession or sale of the substance will be dropped, and 121 current inmates convicted in such cases will be released. Previously, simple possession of kratom was punishable by up to 2 years imprisonment and up to 200,000 baht ($6,108).
With the new law, kratom has been removed from the list of controlled narcotics. Somsak proposed the move in order to reduce costs to the legal system as well as provide the country’s population with a low-cost natural painkiller, whilst creating a legal market for the cultivation of kratom. The move is expected to create jobs in the impoverished south, where the COVID-19 pandemic has left many without work.
In Thailand, kratom leaves are typically chewed to create an energy boost. When smoked, the stimulant effects are increased, with users feeling energetic, talkative, and alert. Although at high doses, kratom can have a sedative effect and displays an addictive profile when used regularly. Users of kratom should be aware of the risks involved.
In many countries including Australia, New Zealand, and many European countries, kratom is prohibited for consumption and generally scheduled similar to drugs such as heroin. In the U.S., kratom is banned in some states, however is not federally prohibited. This means kratom can be found in many smoke shops across the States, with an industry lobby promoting it’s use as a safer alternative to opioids for pain relief.


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Australia’s only accelerator program solely dedicated to fashion entrepreneurs is preparing for its 2018 program intake. Applications for the Fashion360 program close on December 17.
Run by QUT Creative Enterprise Australia (CEA), the Fashion360 accelerator program supports and mentors fashion entrepreneurs with real-life industry knowledge and experience in a high-tech environment.
Unlike other fashion programs, Fashion360 acts as an accelerator to advance designers that already have a concept and guide them through the next stages of growth with all the necessary business and industry components that ensure the viability of the business is sustained.
“The ways in which we buy and consume fashion are changing,” CEA fashion development manager Thuy Nguyen said.
“Australians are the world’s second largest consumers of textiles, after North America, and we enjoy spending $5.1 billion in clothing each year.
"Staying up-to-date with trends is no longer about walking into your nearest retailer; there are many more global, online and even environmental influences that come into play when it comes to making fashion choices.
“Amazon is preparing for its first launch into the Australian market through their fashion brands.
"It will be an interesting transition to watch in a marketplace where other well known Australian brands such as Marcs and David Lawrence have previously struggled against the global fashion giants like Zara, H&M and Uniqlo. Even Topshop couldn’t sustain a presence in the Australian market.
“Striking the perfect balance between creativity and setting clear business strategies needs to be at the primary consideration for every designer looking to ensure their business is one of longevity."
The six-month Fashion360 program gives early-stage fashion entrepreneurs access to weekly workshops and masterclasses coupled with one-on-one coaching through a holistic 360-degree view of the industry.
The intensive program will prepare designers to be market-ready and present their range in a runway showcase where they will unveil their finished collection to a curated panel of fashion industry leaders.
As part of the program they will have access to world class mentoring, 24/7 access to the Stitch Lab space with industrial facilities and participate in industry networking events.
Acting CEA CEO Mark Gustowski said business support frameworks for emerging Australian designers had been relatively non-existent.
"Many design courses are offered across the country turning out incredible talent but from there those designers often lack the necessary business skills and direction to translate their labels into viable business ventures,” Mr Gustowski said.
“The team at the QUT and CEA recognised this market gap years ago and went to work conceptualising the only fashion accelerator model in the country to make sure that the transition of skills from tertiary to business was in place to support the evolution of the fashion ecosystem.
“We’ve been very encouraged by the mindset of the designers coming through the accelerator program who have overwhelmingly demonstrated a great commitment to driving stronger fashion practices.
We’re pleased to be contributing to the development of their fashion startups and how they can be environmentally conscious while driving a global fashion business and label.”
Pictured above: Design by Lorraine White of Whitelane at the Fashion360 Accelerator Showcase for the fashion industry.
Applications for the Fashion360 program close on December 17.
For more information please visit qutcea.com/fashion360
Creative Industries Faculty
- Phone: 3138 8114
- Fax: 3138 8116
- Postal address:
QUT Creative Industries Faculty
Kelvin Grove QLD 4059


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China’s Fosun International and Qatar’s Mayhoola, which owns Valentino and Balmain, are competing to inject capital into Lanvin and buy control as France’s oldest fashion house looks set to run out of cash as early as...
Italian fashion house Valentino aims to sell around a quarter of the company in an initial public offering (IPO) which will not take place before the second half of 2018, a source close to the matter said.
The retail environment may be tough but Dr Martens seems to be prospering with it saying Monday that revenue soared 25% to just over £290m in the year to March. Underlying profit rose an even bigger 27% to £37.5m.
The iconic footwear brand will open its third store in France, setting up shop in the Quatre Temps building in La Défense, a business area outside Paris' city centre. Covering 90 square metres, it opens November 10.
Dr. Martens has announced that its chief executive officer Steve Murray is leaving the company to enable the “next phase of its history”. Chairman Paul Mason will take over until a new chief executive is appointed.


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A breakthrough in machine learning takes music analysis to a new level
Live music is complex and unique to each musician – making it often difficult to classify its genre. Yet new machine learning technology from product design and development firm Cambridge Consultants is outperforming human brainpower when it comes to identifying different musical styles in this most challenging of circumstances.
The breakthrough opens the door to a new generation of multimedia information retrieval systems – providing a sophisticated method of organising and searching music databases. But it could be equally applicable to detecting faults in an industrial system or rapidly assessing patient health from sensor waveforms.
To put its machine learning system to the test, Cambridge Consultants had a pianist play a variety of music – covering baroque, classical, ragtime and jazz genres – in a live demonstration. Applying complex algorithms, the system then searched for different influences and assessed the likely genre in real time. It overwhelmingly outperformed conventional hand-coded software, painstakingly written by humans.
“Machine learning is at the core of a new wave of artificial intelligence applications limited only by our imagination,” said Monty Barlow, director of machine learning at Cambridge Consultants. “We’re working at the cutting edge of machine learning research and development, developing systems that can apply complex algorithms to big data and ‘learn’ autonomously – without explicit programming.”
Cambridge Consultants’ unique approach involves the creation of what it calls a ‘digital greenhouse’ – an environment where machine learning can flourish. The more strains of models it can grow, the more it can understand where the richest pickings are to be found – beyond the confines of ordinary software development methodologies. The company has an on-site facility with many teraflops of dedicated compute power, where its data scientists and engineers are engaged in long-term machine learning programmes.
“The team is sweating state-of-the-art compute resource to assess new algorithmic hopefuls against long-standing commercial and industrial challenges, such as optimising the deployment of cellular infrastructure or detecting anomalies on a manufacturing line,” said Barlow. “But the digital greenhouse approach doesn’t stop at delivering client projects. It’s an experimental approach that engages the spare time and creative inspiration of our smartest minds, who know they’re working at the frontier of a vital, transformative industry.”
About Cambridge Consultants
Cambridge Consultants develops breakthrough products, services and intellectual property, and provides business consultancy in technology-critical issues for clients worldwide. For more than 60 years, the company has been helping its clients turn business opportunities into commercial successes, whether they are launching first-to-market products, entering new markets or expanding existing markets through the introduction of new technologies. With a team of more than 800 team members, including engineers, scientists, mathematicians and designers, in offices in Cambridge (UK), Boston (USA), Tokyo (Japan) and Singapore, Cambridge Consultants offers solutions across a diverse range of industries including medical technology, industrial and consumer products, digital health, energy and wireless communications.
Visit us: www.cambridgeconsultants.com
About Capgemini Invent
As the digital innovation, design and transformation brand of the Capgemini Group, Capgemini Invent enables CxOs to envision and shape the future of their businesses. Located in nearly 40 studios and more than 60 offices around the world, it comprises a 10,000+ strong team of strategists, data scientists, product and experience designers, brand experts and technologists who develop new digital services, products, experiences and business models for sustainable growth.
Capgemini Invent is an integral part of Capgemini, a global leader in partnering with companies to transform and manage their business by harnessing the power of technology. The Group is guided everyday by its purpose of unleashing human energy through technology for an inclusive and sustainable future. It is a responsible and diverse organization of over 325,000 team members in more than 50 countries. With its strong 55-year heritage and deep industry expertise, Capgemini is trusted by its clients to address the entire breadth of their business needs, from strategy and design to operations, fueled by the fast evolving and innovative world of cloud, data, AI, connectivity, software, digital engineering and platforms. The Group reported in 2021 global revenues of €18 billion.
Get The Future You Want
Visit us at www.capgemini.com/invent
Cambridge Consultants develops breakthrough products, creates and licenses intellectual property, and provides business consultancy in technology-critical issues for clients worldwide. For more than 50 years, the company has been helping its clients turn business opportunities into commercial successes, whether they are launching first-to-market products, entering new markets or expanding existing markets through the introduction of new technologies. With a team of 750 staff, including engineers, scientists, mathematicians and designers, in offices in Cambridge (UK), Boston (USA) and Singapore, Cambridge Consultants offers solutions across a diverse range of industries including medical technology, industrial and consumer products, digital health, oil and gas, and wireless communications.
Cambridge Consultants is part of Altran, a global leader in engineering and R&D services which offers its clients a new way to innovate. Altran works alongside its clients on every link in the value chain of their project, from conception to industrialisation. In 2016, the Altran group generated revenues of €2.120bn. With a headcount of more than 30,000 employees, Altran is present in more than 20 countries. For more information, visit www.Altran.com.


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Though most people in the U.S. celebrate Thursday’s day of thanks with family and friends, come Friday through the following Monday, thankfulness transitions from what they have to what they can purchase. Thanks (no pun intended) to ever growing technology, the tradition of Black Friday shopping in person at brick-and-mortar stores has extended to include online shopping with a day of its own: Cyber Monday.
Last year Adobe – which collected data on the 2015 Cyber Monday – discovered that $3.07 billion was spent on online purchases alone, breaking the all-too-recent new record set by the 2015 Black Friday amount of $2.74 billion. Having just “celebrated” Black Friday and having yet to “celebrate” Cyber Monday tomorrow, we shall see what is to come of this years’ totals.
But regardless of the amount spent, this is clearly “the most wonderful time of the year” for companies to shine through marketing. So how should marketing go about to be able to “dance like sugar plums all in [people’s] heads”? Well, there a few things a company, wanting to do so, should consider.
In the United States, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving that marks the beginning of Christmas shopping. Cyber Monday, is the Monday immediately following that Black Friday that promotes similar shopping via online stores. When it comes to marketing, a company needs to know their target audience well enough to consider whether there should be a focus on marketing for only Black Friday, only for Cyber Monday, or both. A company should also consider its resources. For a large company tackling the whole weekend from Black Friday to Cyber Monday may not be as challenging as compared to a small business. It is critical to know the target audience and understand that though marketing efforts may reach new people, the focus should be much more on retaining the current audience.
Additionally, a company needs to consider the variety of technical devices – especially mobile, hand-held devices. Because of such gadgets, people shopping in person on Black Friday may very well be researching and comparing simultaneously to online deals. A company would need to consider whether they want in-store deals to be different or the same as online deals and whether those deals will be different or the same on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or both days.
Lastly, a company needs to consider social media – especially when it comes to Cyber Monday. With so much engagement taking place via social media, this needs to seriously be considered within the marketing strategy as it ties in to these large kick-off holiday shopping days. The engagement must be consistent and be of the proper “language” according to the social media platform being used.
These considerations are nothing outside of what many would consider to be in likeness to common sense. However, though they appear to be minor, they can be significant in the success or failure of a company’s marketing for the start of the Christmas shopping season.
Wattles, J. (2015). Cyber Monday hits $3 billion sales record. CNN Money. Retrieved from: http://money.cnn.com/2015/11/30/news/companies/cyber-monday-sales/


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Yesterday in the Senate, Sen. Byron “Smoot” Dorgan (D-ND) held a hearing on whether “free trade is working,” focusing mainly on trade agreements. One of the witnesses was fellow protectionist Sen. Sherrod “Hawley” Brown (D-OH). Luckily they were offset by trade expert and NAM alum Christoper Wenk who actually was armed with the facts, showing that trade agreements create jobs for Americans. Doncha just hate it when the facts don’t jibe with the hysteria? Dorgan, don’t forget, is also hyping his widely-panned book of (mostly) fiction and hype. (For the record, we think it’s crass to use a public forum to shamelessly hype your [widely acclaimed]book.)
The growing protectionist tide among the Democrats is most troublesome, threatening the prosperity and growth of thee economy. But hey, it sells at campaign time, right? The plain truth is that trade creates jobs and prosperity. Recall that 100 Democrats voted for NAFTA — which also created jobs — but only 15 voted for CAFTA last year. And in the year since CAFTA passed, we’ve gone from a $1 billion trade deficit with those countries to a $1 billion trade surplus. That’s a $2 billion swing in one year. Hard to see how that costs jobs.
And when all else fails, just check out this chart. It’s pretty clear that our trade deficit is with countries with which we have no trade agreement. Trade agreements open markets to US-made goods.
Byron? Lou? Are you listening?
Latest posts by NAM (see all)
- Manufacturers Win Several Website Design Awards - June 15, 2011
- China Makes Commitments on Trade, Intellectual Property - December 16, 2010
- ITC Details Widespread Theft of Intellectual Property in China - December 14, 2010


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There is no doubt that the pandemic made an impact on everyone’s lives in some way, shape, or form. This becomes increasingly clear when you look at the state of the market, inflation rates and national spending practices.
In this episode, Jeff Green and Lauren Smith evaluate the concerns that the people of America have been having regarding government spending throughout the pandemic, the effects of inflation, and how the stock market has been more unpredictable than ever.
Jeff and Lauren discuss:
- The trends of the stock market throughout the various stages of the pandemic
- Whether or not the market is under or overvalued at this current moment in time
- The effects of inflation on the everyday investor
- And more!
Connect With Green Financial Group:
- (713) 244-3030
- Green Financial Group
- LinkedIn: Jeff Green
- LinkedIn: Lauren Smith


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A children’s book from the popular “Captain Underpants” series will be removed from library and book store shelves after Scholastic announced it was withdrawing it from publication because it “perpetuates passive racism”.
The book, titled “The Adventures of Ook and Gluk” by Dav Pilkey, “follows about a pair of friends who travel from 500,001 B.C. to 2222, where they meet a martial arts instructor who teaches them kung fu and they learn principles found in Chinese philosophy,” according to Breitbart.
In a statement on YouTube, Pilkey wrote that the book was “intended to showcase diversity, equality and non-violent conflict resolution.”
“But this week it was brought to my attention that this book also contains harmful racial stereotypes and passively racist imagery. I wanted to take this opportunity to publicly apologize for this. It was and is wrong and harmful to my Asian readers, friends and family, and to all Asian people,” the statement continued.
“I hope that you, my readers, will forgive me, and learn from my mistake that even unintentional and passive stereotypes and racism are harmful to everyone,” he wrote.
Scholastic released a statement last week, stating that it had the “full support” of Pikley in its decision to stop the distribution of the book.
“Together, we recognize that this book perpetuates passive racism,” the statement said.
‘We are deeply sorry for this serious mistake. Scholastic has removed the book from our websites, stopped fulfillment of any orders (domestically or abroad), contacted our retail partners to explain why this book is no longer available, and sought a return of all inventory.”
For the full report, click HERE.
‘Oh, the Places You Won’t Go.’ Six Dr. Seuss Books Canceled for Racist Imagery
Six books from the iconic Dr. Seuss series of children’s books will “stop being published because of racist and insensitive imagery, the business that preserves and protects the author’s legacy said Tuesday,” reported by the Associated Press. Dr. Seuss Enterprises told the AP in a statement, “these books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”
“Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss enterprises’ catalog represents and supports all communities and families,” said the statement. Books on the chopping block are “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” “If I Ran the Zoo,” “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra!,” “Scrambled Eggs Super!,” and “The Cat’s Quizzer.”
Dr. Seuss Enterprises said the company’s decision was made last year after they “listened and took feedback from our audiences including teachers, academic and specialists in the field as part of our review process. We then worked with a panel of experts, including educators, to review our catalog of titles.”
In 2017 after first lady Melania Trump donated Dr. Seuss books to a school library in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the school’s librarian criticized the gift saying many of his works were “steeped in racist propaganda caricatures, and harmful stereotypes.”
Arguably one of the most famously well-known and loved Dr. Seuss books is “The Cat in the Hat” which has also come under criticism but the Enterprise says it “will continue to be published for now.” The AP reports how popular Dr. Seuss remains, “earning an estimated $33 million before taxes in 2020, up from just $9.5 million five years ago, the company said.” In 2020 Forbes listed him as the second-highest-paid dead celebrities behind pop star Michael Jackson.
Cancel Culture Continues: Disney+ Removes Peter Pan, Dumbo from Kid’s Profile Accounts
Cancel culture’s latest victims include the films Dumbo, Peter Pan, Swiss Family Robinson and The Aristocats.
The Washington Examiner reports that Disney+ has removed the movies from children’s profile accounts and added warnings for adults due to the portrayal of offensive stereotypes in the films.
Disney says Dumbo was removed because, “The crows and musical number pay homage to racist minstrel shows, where white performers with blackened faces and tattered clothing imitated and ridiculed enslaved Africans on Southern plantations. The leader of the group in Dumbo is Jim Crow, which shares the name of laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States.”
As far as Peter Pan goes, “the film portrays Native people in a stereotypical manner that reflects neither the diversity of Native peoples nor their authentic cultural traditions. It shows them speaking in an unintelligible language and repeatedly refers to them as ‘redskins,’ an offensive term. Peter and the Lost Boys engage in dancing, wearing headdresses and other exaggerated tropes.”
In the Aristocats, “the (Siamese) cat (Shun Gon) is depicted as a racist caricature of East Asian peoples with exaggerated stereotypical traits such as slanted eyes and buck teeth.”
According to the Daily Caller, the warning message that appears before the movies on adult accounts states:
“This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together. Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe…”


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Nintendo Restarting Development on Metroid Prime 4
Is Metroid Prime 4 Still Coming to the Nintendo Switch?
Nintendo of Japan released a video announcement on their channel on the current development state of Metroid Prime 4. Sadly, they are comepletely starting over on the title. Even though we didn’t know much about the game, fans of the series and Nintendo Switch owners definitely had it top on many most anticipated lists. See the video below –
Takahashi-san has revealed they have very succinctly canceled the current development of the game, and sent development over to Retro Studios. Retro Studios was the American development team that built the first three titles in the series. They have been primarily been working on the modern Donkey Kong Country series recently .
Its not a particularly surprising announcement. Games get canceled and restarted all the time. It wasn’t too hard to read the tea leaves on Metroid Prime 4 after a lack of reveal at the Game Awards back in December. Everyone was predicting something to come forward related to the game. What is surprising is that the announcement is a full 3 minute video from Takahashi Shinya, one of the top heads of development at Nintendo.
Why is this being released now? The obvious guess is that Nintendo doesn’t feel like it can release another Nintendo Direct and announce 2019’s lineup without questions about Metroid Prime 4. This announcement video can now quietly handle that threat. Its just comes sadly at the expense of a hotly anticipated title. Fortunately it is being restarted even if we are years away. One last thing to note: Takahashi-san never did say this was coming to the Nintendo Switch . . .


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BMX Australia announced today that sporting apparel brand 2XU has linked up with BMX to become supporting sponsor of the 2009 UCI BMX World Championships to be held in Adelaide on the 23-26th July. The 2009 UCI BMX World Championships is the biggest BMX event in the world with over 2000 competitors from 42 countries competing over four days of extreme racing.
2XU engineers world leading sporting apparel and is fast becoming the most technical sports brand on the planet.
“With 2XU’s history of supporting cycling around the world, we are excited to welcome them as a sponsor of the 2009 UCI BMX World Championships,” said BMX World Championships Event Manager, Mr John Leary. “BMX Australia are looking forward to assisting 2XU achieve further growth and we are also working on future projects to build the relationship between BMX and 2XU.”
Director of Sales & Marketing at 2XU, Mr Aidan Clarke, said, ‘”As Australia’s leading high performance sporting apparel brand, we’re delighted to be on board for this thrilling high performance international event.”
Elite road cyclists and mountain bikers around the world have been enjoying the training and recovery benefits of our industry leading compression apparel for some time and we now look forward to BMX riders adopting this performance enhancing apparel with equal haste.”
2XU will have a pro shop on site at the 2009 UCI BMX World Championships where all attendees will be offered the chance to test and purchase the latest products and join the Team 2XU database for awesome prizes.


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The Consumers' Association has urged the director of consumer affairs to take measures to ensure operator Arriva improves the bus service, a week before the company's self-imposed September 11 deadline for an efficient public transport system.
The association had filed a complaint before the Competition and Consumer Affairs' Authority in July, listing a range of problems Maltese consumers were facing.
Now association president Benny Borg Bonello has raised the issue of the validity of the €1.30 two-hour ticket, which according to Arriva's conditions could actually expire mid-journey.
If the validity of the pass or other relevant documentation expires, the passenger must leave the bus or pay another fare to continue to his intended destination, according to the conditions.
If the commuter does not hold a valid ticket, pass or other relevant documentation, he will have to pay the fare for the journey together with a penalty of €10.
The Consumers' Association said it was unfair for commuters, who were not responsible for the duration of the journey, to be fined for something they did not have control over.
“You can't keep your eyes glued to your watch,” he said, adding that passengers should be informed of these conditions.
None of the 10 commuters at the Marsa park-and-ride and the Valletta bus terminus who spoke to The Sunday Times were aware of this condition of carriage.
A man from Mellieħa said he bought a two-hour ticket every day between Monday and Friday to return home after work, and did not need a day ticket as he was given a lift in the morning.
“It has at times taken me more than two hours to reach home1 and we had been promised punctual service. Why would I have to pay extra for a trip which was not supposed to take more than an hour?” he asked.
A British couple on their way to Buġibba who bought a two-hour ticket from the vending machine said they had been waiting to get on a bus for nearly an hour, therefore eating into the two-hour threshold.
A spokesman for Arriva said the company believed this condition was “already clear in publicity material, conditions of carriage and reiterated by (the company's) people on the ground.” However, Arriva said it would take the complaint on board.
The Arriva spokesman said public information campaigns would continue through the media and via the customer care centre, adding Arriva employees and representatives at bus stops and interchange sites also provided commuters with information.
The consumer association also voiced concern over the company's promise of a service of the highest quality, which was “far from reality”.
Arriva reiterated that due to the shortage of 180 drivers in July, the company was unable to deliver the quality of service intended.
“Significant improvements have been made and we will be sharing more about that and talking about future developments and the next phase of changes after September 11,” the spokesman said.
Mr Borg Bonello said the association had aired its concerns with Arriva and Transport Malta in July, but had not heard from them since.
In an appeal filed last week, the association said the director of consumer affairs was duty-bound to protect the interests of consumers and called on him to issue the interim measures.
When contacted, the Transport Ministry said the association had made most of its complaints when the service was launched.
“The association will probably agree that several of its complaints have since been addressed as rapid and substantial progress in the transition has been achieved,” aministry spokesman said.
published in the Times of Malta of the 4th September 2011


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30 Entrepreneurs Of The Year 2018
Hella India Lighting Ltd.
Ramashankar Pandey, MD
The HELLA Group develops and manufactures lighting and electronic components and [....]
A giant leap for mankind: Clinivantage Healthcare Technology Inc. is bringing a new approach to healthcare innovations for patients across technology, transactions & data
The Healthcare ecosystem market is growing rapidly, owing to various factors such as increasing usage of smartphones, tablets, connected devices and apps for various applications in healthcare, rapi [....]


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Fortune Magazine Ranks ADM Most Admired Food Production Company
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) was ranked the world’s most admired company in the food production industry by Fortune magazine for 2015. Considered the definitive report card on corporate reputation, Fortune magazine’s annual list of the “World’s Most Admired Companies” ranks companies in a number of major industries.
“We are proud to be acknowledged by our peers for our leadership in the food production industry,” said ADM CEO Juan Luciano. “To be recognized for excellence in our work to serve our customers in the food industry speaks to the dedication of our 33,000 employees.”
A total of 668 companies from 29 countries were evaluated by more than 4,100 executives, directors and security analysts. Survey respondents were asked to rate companies in their industry on nine criteria: innovation, people management, use of corporate assets, social responsibility, quality of management, financial soundness, long-term investment value, quality of products and services and global competitiveness.
For more than a century, the people of Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) have transformed crops into products that serve the vital needs of a growing world. Today, we’re one of the world’s largest agricultural processors and food ingredient providers, with more than 33,000 employees serving customers in more than 140 countries. With a global value chain that includes more than 460 crop procurement locations, 300 ingredient manufacturing facilities, 40 innovation centers and the world’s premier crop transportation network, we connect the harvest to the home, making products for food, animal feed, chemical and energy uses. Learn more at www.adm.com.
Archer Daniels Midland Company
Jackie Anderson, 312-634-8484